Cyberattack paralyzes Fehmarnbelt Tunnel construction

A major cyberattack has halted construction of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, a massive infrastructure project intended to connect Denmark and Germany via the Baltic Sea. The Femern Link Contractors (FLC) consortium, which includes companies from Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, reported that the incident has disabled electronic access cards for employees and immobilized specialized maritime equipment, including ships, cranes, and platforms.

The 18-kilometer tunnel is designed to be the world’s longest immersed tunnel, featuring a four-lane road and a double-track railway to alleviate traffic bottlenecks between Scandinavia and Central Europe. While the perpetrator remains unknown, Henning Mortensen, Chairman of the Danish Digital Security Council, suggested the incident could be part of hybrid warfare. This follows recent warnings from Danish authorities regarding a high threat level of potential cyberattacks from Russia.

Work has been largely suspended as employees are instructed not to use computers or Wi-Fi. The project, managed by the Danish state-owned Femern A/S, was scheduled for phased opening starting in 2029.